Hawk Item — Selected in the eighth round of the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals… was the 251st pick… first Hawkeye catcher drafted in top eight rounds since 1972.
2018 Honors — Second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball… semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award — an award given to the top catcher in Division I baseball… first-team All-Big Ten selection… Mideast ABCA/Rawlings Second-Team All-Region honoree. 2018 — Started all 53 games — 44 behind the plate, six in left field, two in center field, and once as the designated hitter… hit a team-best .342 with 20 doubles, nine home runs, 50 RBIs and 43 runs scored… 20 doubles are tied for the second-most in a single season in school history… hit safely in 41 games and reached safely in 47 contests… had at least one RBI in 25 games and 14 games with two or more RBIs… reached safely in a career-best 19 straight games from April 11-May 15… also had a 16-game reached base streak from March 11-April 8… had a career-long 12-game hitting streak from March 18-April 7…ranked in top-14 in Big Ten in nine categories… tied for the league lead in doubles (20), fifth in on-base percentage (.449), sixth in RBIs (50), seventh in slugging (.578) and hit by pitch (11), tied for ninth in total bases (115), 10th in batting average (.342), tied for 11th in home runs (9), and tied for 14th in hits (68)… finished 2-for-5 with a double and tied a career-high with five RBIs against Penn State (5/18)… had two doubles — Nos. 18 and 19 — and stole a career-high three bases in road win at Western Illinois (5/15), finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs… finished with a .500 average in series win over No. 12 Oklahoma State… hit a three-run homer in game one (5/4) and finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in series finale (5/6)… hit a walk-off two-run home run in Iowa’s 7-5, series-clinching victory over No. 7 Michigan… it was his second walk-off homer of the season… finished 3-for-5 in the game… had his second career two home run game, finishing 3-for-5 with a career-high four runs and four RBIs against Mizzou (5/1)… hit .500 during the three-game series at Minnesota, posting three straight two-hit games… went 2-for-4 with a home run at Target Field in the opener — his fifth of the season… hit his fourth home run — a two-run shot — in game two at Nebraska (4/13)… tied a school record with three doubles against Coe College (4/11), finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs… it was the first time since 2004 a Hawkeye has had three doubles… hit a walk-off grand slam — the first walk-off blast of his baseball career — finishing 3-for-5 with two doubles and a career-high five RBIs in Iowa’s 13-9 victory over Bradley (3/28)… went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, and two RBIs in Iowa’s 5-1 win over No. 11 Indiana (3/23)… went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in Iowa’s 8-2 victory at New Orleans (2/25)… hit a two-run home run in Iowa’s 8-6 victory over Oakland (2/17)… finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs… ranked as the 20th-best draft prospect in the Big Ten by D1Baseball.com… one of four team captains for the 2018 season.
at World University Games (2017) — Started all seven games, five behind the plate and two in left field… hit .273 (6-of-22) with four RBIs and two runs scored… went 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, and a run scored against Czech Republic (8/25)… was part of the battery in the no-hitter against Czech Republic (8/25).
2017 Honors — Second-team All-Big Ten selection at catcher… Big Ten All-Tournament Team honoree. 2017 — Started 59 games — 56 behind the plate and three in left field… hit .268 with 41 runs and 36 RBIs… had eight doubles, two triples, and nine home runs — tied for second-most on team and tied for 10th in the Big Ten… gunned down 19 would-be base stealers — tops in the Big Ten… had 15 multi-hit games (13 two-hit, two three-hit)… had 13 of his multi-hit games since March 31… hitting a team-best .412 (7-of-17) at the Big Ten Tournament with three home runs, seven runs, and five RBIs… hit the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 13th in the semifinal elimination game against Minnesota (5/27)… finished game 2-for-6 with two home runs, two runs, and two RBIs… went 2-for-3 with a home run and scored a career-high three runs against Maryland (5/25)… tied a career-high with four RBIs in series finale at Michigan State (5/7), finished 2-for-4 in the contest… belted his sixth home run against Penn State (4/29) — a two run shot — finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs… had his second career three-hit game, finishing 3-for-4 in game two against Rutgers (4/22)… connected on his fifth home run, a three-run shot in Iowa’s 7-6 series-opening win at Nebraska (4/14)… hit a home run in back-to-back games at Northwestern… had a career-high three hits, finishing 3-for-4 with a triple in series opener against Purdue (3/24)… hit his first career home run — a two-run shot — in game two at Kansas State (3/18).
At Iowa Western Community College (2015 & 2016) — All-Region XI first-team selection as a sophomore after hitting .403 with five home runs, nine doubles, 27 RBIs, 35 runs, and two steals… had 14 multi-hit, nine multi-run, and nine multi-RBI games… finished with a .271 (23-of-85) average with six doubles, 21 runs, 19 RBIs, and three steals in 45 games as freshman… went 106-22 in two seasons… team finished fourth at NJCAA World Series in 2016 and fifth in 2014… helped team to back-to-back conference, Region XI, and district titles… junior college coach was Marc Rardin.
High School — Three-time high school all-state selection… four-time all-conference and three-time all-district and All-Western Iowa honoree… 2014 All-Iowa Super Team selection… played in Iowa All-Star Baseball Series… helped team to back-to-back Class 3A third-place finishes and three straight conference titles… school record-holder in career RBIs (142) and hits (186), is second in career doubles (45), and eighth in wins (18)… holds single-season doubles (20) record and is eighth in single-season batting average (.466)… ranks seventh in career average (.390) and innings pitched (144 2/3)… hit .466 with four home runs, 37 RBIs and nine steals as a senior, .374 with two home runs and 35 RBIs as a junior, .361 with four home runs and 43 RBIs as a sophomore, and .360 with one home run and 27 RBIs as a freshman… also won 18 games and struck out 144 on the mound, going 4-0 as a freshman, 7-0 with a 1.67 ERA as a junior, and 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA as a senior… was an elite all-state and all-division honoree in football as a senior… placed third in Class 3A in long jump as a senior and eighth at the Drake Relays… Honor Roll member as junior and senior… high school coach was Andy Osborne.
Personal — Born Dec. 10, 1995… son of Dean and Lesa Cropley… father played baseball at Wayne State; mother played softball at South Dakota… has a younger sister, Ellie… majoring in health and human physiology.